Adventure Travel - Getting Started

Several years ago I became bored with traditional travel. As I began researching my next trip I read a short article on Adventure Travel. Having travelled to many regions in the world, I felt it was time to try something new, but I quickly became overwhelmed by the adventure travel information I was finding. I needed a simple guide to help me get started. Since I couldn't find one, I decided to build a website and keep track of what I was learning. Hopefully this website helps you as much as building it has helped me.

The first step is to understand what adventure travel is. There are many terms used by clever marketers to describe various types of travel. Adventure travel is a broad generic term, and there are many specific types of adventure travel. I couldn't find a dictionary definition for "adventure travel". Dictionary definitions for "adventure" typically include the word risks, and danger. Example: Adventure - Participation in unusual, hazardous, or exciting experiences. An undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. Loosely translated one could assume that adventure travel is risky travel. This didn't seem like what I was interested in.

There is sometimes a distinction made between "Soft" and "Hard" adventures. Soft adventures have a lower level of risk, greater comfort in accommodations and are less physically rigorous. Hard adventures often have very basic facilities, higher risk factor and greater physical challenge (ie: mountain climbing, backpacking or river expeditions).

As a beginner, I was more interested in "Soft Adventures". Then came the onslaught of marketing terms from the various brochures I received. A getting started guide for adventure travel should have a definition for each of these terms to help the beginner understand them. I have tried to assemble a basic definition for each of the following terms:

Next, I needed to think about the adventure travel activities that interested me, and the adventure travel destinations for those activities. Once you select your activities and destinations, it will be easier to select your adventure travel gear and adventure travel clothing. Click the links for information on those subjects.